Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-04

in Texas pointer to the effect that ga
vste on q prohibitory amendment this
year means the certain defeat of that
measure, for the simple reason that pub
lie opinion in this state is not yet ready to
accept such policy"
To the average mind it will seem pass
ing strange that the popular will' de-
mands the submission of the amendments
and yet "public opinion is not ready to
accept it.
Whence comes the demand for sub mis-
sion? Certainly not from the grog shops
and their devotees. That idea Is sheer
nonsense. They are not lunatics. They
know that their policy is to sllaY agita-
ton instead Of provoking it. They know
that every time the question is agitated
their business is injured and endangered.
They know that IN the last
few years the prohibition move
ment has spread over the country,
like q resistless wave, sweeping the liquor
traffic before it ike iuttering mills on the
bosom of Niagara. They know that it
would be absolute madness in them to
throw the privileges they now enjoy Sc
curely into a doubtful contest, to be re-
gained or lost forever in the hazard of
popular election. No, not from them, bur
from mighty host Of God fearing citizens
OF Texas, who are determined to rid the
state Of the blight and sin of drunkenness
and save their nei2hbors and brethren
from their evil appetites-aye, from these
comes the popular demand for submits
sion.
But again. TIE GAZETTE assumes that
the people will adopt the prohibition pol
icy only after carefully experimenting
with it until they are convinced
by their own observation OF its
utility, and asks with q significant
air of triumph, GLOW can prsctical men
be expected to give their supper. to 8
measure that has not had practical DEM
onstration as to its merits mere at homer"
IL requires no thought at all to puncture
the miserable, shabby, shoddy tiiiacy
lurking under this fair outside OF welt
woven words.
1t is not the custom of sensible men,
practical or Impractical, in their Efforts to
rid themselves of great and Overwhelm-
ing evil to experiment so cautiously with
this system or that, while death aud de-
struCtion are making havoc around them,
to nvipce themselves by practical
demonstration that this or that remedy
is perfect, or even meritOriOus.
1t is the custom OF sensible men under
such circumstances to adopt the best
M asure at hand, the one which on its face,
lin The light of reason and common sense
promises the fullest measure of relief.
Practical men, if they be blessed with
small amount of Intelligence, are able to
reason by deductige methods as we'll as
by indGctiVe methods. Tie trouble is
that the class of men to whom this term
issAEactical'i Is applied are too often rep
resented as having no sense at |, much
less that highest order of intelligence
practical, common sense.
Grant that the liquor traffic is q great
evil carried on by human agency, and it
follows as naturally and inevitably as the
night follows the day, to the mind of
every unpre JUDGED man, that the law
prohibiting it is the proper rem
edy. Convince him, if you please,
that similar law has been tried else
where and proved failure, and still his
mind will not give up the conclusion it
has naturally and correctly reached, and
he vii. reply tnat the failure could not
have been in the law, but must have been
in those entrusted with its execution
These are the natural mental processes
1t requires no practical demonstration "
to bring them about. But it requires
good deal of "practical demonstration"
or prejudice which answers about as well
and comes much cheaper, to reverse
these processes and the conclusion to
which they lead.
Again. Everybody knows that the
experience in Maine, Iowa and Kansas
has not been satisfactory or convincing"
On the contrary, "the experience in
Maine, Iowa and Kansas" has been both
satisfactory" and Convincing" 10 all
except that class of whom it has been
truly said: "None are so blind as those
who will not see.''
But THE GAZETTE puts the number of
counties IN Texas in which the expert
ment has been made at not more than
twenty. Not more than twenty. Boy,
must the experiment be made all over the
state, spot by spot, before its merits can
be ascertained? How many experiments
of the same kind does 1t usually require
to convince your "practical MANI"
Finally, The GAZETTE advises the Pro-
hibitionistS to retire from the fight in the
very moment of victory, when they have
created such demand for submission
that even THE GAZETTE recognizes it as
the popular WILL" and informs them that
the Legislature is going to provide for
submission in difference to the popular
will" That would be most absurd. Moth
ing so ridiculous could be entertained.
Great harm has already been done both
to the prohibition cause and the Demo
cratic party, by dragging prohibition into
politics. There is every reason why the
fight should go on to finish now. The
Prohibitionists will win easily and Ger
tainly. With God and the right and the
popular willn on their side, the grogerles
will go down like a mushroom in q
maelstrom, never again to fill the land
with crime and woe. Certainly no Pro-
hibitlonist can halt or falter now, when
the victory is only question of one NOR.
short campaign. Then rather let them
renew their energies, redouble their dill
eencs, convert each man into mailed
warrior and do such battle for the cause
as patriots ought to Do for their homes,
their affairs and thelgeQHntry. TREK.
= Norris sascarlnesis'a positive cure for
d3spepsiaE Pleasant 70 take, mild in &C